While titles of nobility usually conjure images
of castles, chivalry, and Arthurian fantasy, it is not all that uncommon
for the average American genealogist to uncover an ancestor who once held
such a title. And for those of you who have an ancestor whose titles are
now unclaimed, they may be yours for the taking.
Sometimes we middle-class researchers are a little
surprised to find a great-great-great grandfather who was a Count or an
Earl, but it is not as rare an occurrence as you might think. Ideally,
titles are passed from father to eldest son, but sometimes the title-holder
has no male heirs, or heirs at all, and the title becomes “abeyant” or
dormant until a worthy relative comes along and exercises his or her claim.
(Yes, ladies, in these more democratic times, you can inherit a title as
well.) Usually, after the title goes unclaimed for a generation or two,
the family forgets all about it, and this is where you come in.
An ancestor of mine held the title of Baron of Montfort
a few centuries ago, and I decided to find out if it was possible for me
to rehabilitate that title. During my quest, I discovered that there are
thousands of extinct titles in Britain and Europe, and there is in place
a legal mechanism that allows you, if you descend from a baron, viscount,
count, earl, marquis, or duke, to become the next one. Unfortunately, no
one had ever written any kind of guide to doing this, so I was on my own.
Once I discovered that my ancestor did indeed hold
a noble title, I set about t discover whether or not it was unclaimed.
Easier said than done. I knew that people rehabilitating English titles
have only to look in Burke’s or Debrett’s Peerages in the “Extinct Titles”
section. But for Continental titles, there is no such directory. After
months of research and late-night letter writing, I discovered that the
Patriarch of Antioch, the authority that rehabilitates such titles, maintains
a council of researchers, genealogists, and heraldry experts, so once you
write them, they’ll take care of the rest. At the time, however, I didn’t
know that.
My next step was to determine the exact procedure
and the necessary documents for reclaiming a title. This varies from country
to country, but some nations, like England, can be quite strict. In England,
you have to supply them with every birth and marriage record from the last
title-holder to yourself. Then you have to somehow prove that you are the
most worthy heir. Furthermore, you have to be a citizen of a country in
the British Commonwealth.
Policies for rehabilitating titles on the Continent are a bit more
lax, and usually require that you merely demonstrate your descent from
the last title-holder. The staff genealogist of the current monarchs, or
other titles grantors, will usually arrange the appropriate documents themselves.
Most European titles originate from the Holy Roman
Empire, but when the Holy See of Rome showed no interest in adjudicating
such titles, the torch was passed to the Holy See of Antioch. The Holy
See set up the Council of Westphalia, which investigates and handles all
title claims. I was months trying to locate this group, but finally discovered
their London address. Now, however, the Holy See of Antioch has been approved
for membership in the United Nations as a permanent observer, so they now
have a convenient New York Address to handle title queries from North America.
Their address is:
Holy See of Antioch
Attention Westphalian Council
545 8th Ave., Ste. 401
New York, NY 10018
Remembering high school civics class, you may
ask whether or not Americans are allowed to possess titles of nobility.
Well, while the Constitution clearly states that the President cannot confer
them, it makes no provision for citizens owning them. You probably couldn’t
get the State Department to include Count So-and-so on your passport, but
you can certainly style yourself thusly in any social situation. In fact,
I know many Americans now who do just that.
We now come to the inevitable question: Is it worth
it? Some countries will rehabilitate titles at no cost to you, but on the
other hand, I’ve heard of people spending up to $450,000 on taxes, genealogical
research, legal fees, etc. Rest assured this is an extreme case, but after
all the time, expense, and effort, what “good” are titles of nobility?
Well, besides the pride and personal satisfaction of ownership, not a whole
lot. If you do have legitimate claim to an English title, and are willing
to become a Brit, you are eligible for a seat in the House of Lords, the
upper house of British Parliament. [This is no longer true. The House
of Lords is now filled by democratic process, much like the U.S. House
of Representatives.] Also, restaurants and hotels welcome and encourage
noble patronage, and having a title certainly facilitates entry into better
social circles. And if none of these perks appeal to you, it is just plain
fun being introduced as he Duke of This-and-that everywhere you go.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, title rehabilitation
is not exactly cost-effective or practical, but I’m sure you’ll find it
a rewarding and exciting way to perpetuate your family’s noble heritage.
And isn’t that what you got into genealogy for in the first place?
I want to thank the Pellissippi
Genealogical & Historical Society for giving me permission to post
this article.
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